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First Baptist Church, Ardmore, Pa organ for sale

Hello, I recently purchased a church and it has a 26 rank organ in the loft, fully functional, and very nice.
Does it have value? Made by Tellers Organ Co. Of Erie, Pa. Thank you.
Wally 215.343.8551Wally2496@aol.com

Much may depend on the difficulty of removal and reassembly. Pictures are always helpful as a first step. Tellers (now a Rodgers dealer) was still in business, at least until 2006 when they celebrated their 100th anniversary, and may be able to help with historical information which may also be useful.

"The employment of the piano is forbidden in church, as is also that of noisy frivolous instruments such as drums, cymbals, bells and the like." St. Pius X

Why? It's too late for the church, the congregation dwindled and no other congregation was willing to buy the building. (and if they had, they might have trashed the organ because they only do praise-band. happens all the time)
I commend this property developer for trying to save the organ.

I must admit I have curiosity about just how a developer would convert a church to condominiums. Our previous church property was bought by a Buddhist aid society--I haven't attempted to investigate how they managed to use the facility.

Doesn't matter to me how he plans to dispose of the unit, as long as his intention is to pass it on whether it be for profit or as a donation. He's likely trying to capitalize on his investment. I bought an Allen MDS85 from a company that purchased a similar building (huge hall) and who had tried to sell the organ for two years without success. I damn near stole it from them and then passed it to an extremely grateful buyer on the other side of the country who will use and preserve it for the next fifty years.

Does it have value? Made by Tellers Organ Co. Of Erie, Pa. Thank you.
Wally 215.343.8551 Wally2496@aol.com

Wally,

Yes, it does have value; but nothing approximating the orginal cost.

For the purpose of perspective: These days, installation of a 26 rank organ like that would cost $400,000 - $500,000! But most of that cost involves design, installation, and voicing of the instrument. The miscellaneous pile of plumbing pipes etal required to build such and instrument are probably worth little more than their weight in lead.

There are other websites that specifically deal with instruments of the kind you are attempting to pass on rather than merely trash it! I don't know the URL for these sites, but perhaps someone else on this forum can provide you with that information. These sites will also provide you with additional information that will allow you to intelligently assess the value of the organ.